St. Francis MissionMay 62 minLiving and Working in HopeThe one Covid-19 case on the Rosebud has recovered but today, as we were getting ready to go to press, we learned that a second case has been confirmed. With...
St. Francis MissionApr 202 minStrength in CommunityA friend recently sent me a photo of the wide, open prairie with the caption “South Dakota: practicing social distancing since 1889.” Given the anxiety here ...
St. Francis MissionMar 112 minPulling TogetherI once heard that one horse can pull about 8,000 pounds. You would think that two horses, pulling together, could pull twice as much, but you’d be mistaken. ...
St. Francis MissionFeb 132 min"Mitakuye Oyasin"When I'm not on the road, one of the highlights of my day is having lunch with our Sapa Un Catholic Academy ("SUCA") students. I always come away physically ...
St. Francis MissionJan 222 minA Blessed New YearHappy and Blessed New Year! As we begin 2020 I want to introduce you to some "new" faces. Actually, they are not so new, but they may be new to you. Harold C...
St. Francis MissionDec 11, 20192 minMinistry of the HeartWe are fortunate to have a young priest . Fr. Jacob Boddicker - as part of our pastoral team. Fr. Jacob, who was ordained in 2017, grew up in rural Iowa and ...
St. Francis MissionNov 11, 20191 minAutumn ActivitiesDear Friends, It's been a busy Fall at St. Francis Mission. Besides our regularly scheduled Masses at five churches, religious education classes around the r...
St. Francis MissionOct 18, 20192 minFostering Local LeadersOne of the things that Fr. Hatcher, the previous director of SFM, promoted was local leadership. Rather than continuing to rely on "missionaries" from outsid...
St. Francis MissionSep 17, 20192 minCompassion Through CaregivingLast month I couldn't help thinking: this is what Jesus must have felt when he saw the crowds of people coming to him for his healing touch. The line started...
St. Francis MissionAug 15, 20192 minHave a Sneak Peek Inside our Museum!The Buechel Lakota Memorial Museum has the largest collection of Lakota artifacts on the Rosebud. In fact, I'm told that the collection is second only to the...
St. Francis MissionJul 17, 20193 minLakota Catholics Share Their StoryI'm always inspired by the Lakota leaders at St. Francis Mission. And I'm particularly impressed by the way they are becoming leaders not just for the Rosebu...
St. Francis MissionJun 18, 20192 minOur Year End is ApproachingMay was a landmark month for us. Jacob Boltz and Lydi Whirlwind Soldier graduated! Both started as third graders at Sapa Un Catholic Academy when it begin fi...
St. Francis MissionMay 15, 20192 minA Smile is Worth a Thousand WordsDental care is an essential part of a person's physical and emotional health, but as is the case with many low-income communities, the Rosebud Reservation fa...
St. Francis MissionApr 12, 20191 minLove & ServiceEach month Sapa Un students and staff reflect on a different Lakota value and then apply it to "love and service projects." With a focus on COMPASSION , they...
St. Francis MissionMar 14, 20192 minA Steward of ServiceAfter a mild December, winter hit us with a vengeance and is refusing to let go. That's made me more aware than ever of the important behind-the-scenes work ...
St. Francis MissionFeb 13, 20192 minMeet Jim Stands from White River Recovery CenterI recently spent an afternoon with Jim Stands at our White River Recovery Center (WRRC). It's not a treatment center but a resource to help people maintain s...
St. Francis MissionJan 23, 20194 minA Year in Review at the MissionYou may notice the morning star design at the top of the newsletter. For the Lakota, the Morning Star-- the traditional design for quilts--is the symbol of w...
